Brownies
by addict-writer
Summary: After tasting Justin's special brownies, Brian has existential questions about Nemo, which confuse even Gus. The third part of In Sickness and In Health series.


**The third part of In Sickness and In Health series. :) If it's the last...it's up to you. Let me know if you want more. And ideas, please. **

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"Mhmmm… These are awesome." Brian bit into his fifth brownie, moaning around it.

He'd never tasted better brownies in is life, which said a lot about Justin's baking.

He held a finger up in warning. "But don't go telling Debbie. She'd either murder you, or bug you for the recipe."

Justin leaned against a pillar, arms crossed over his chest, watching satisfied as Brian devoured yet another cookie. "It's all about the special ingredient." He kept his poker face on as he advanced to the couch, sitting next to his boyfriend.

Brian raised an eyebrow. Justin smiled mysteriously, combing his fingers through Brian's hair.

At least, Brian was eating more than chicken soup, and keeping it down so far. As much as he'd bitched about the calories in the brownies when Justin baked them, he was singing a different tune at the moment.

Justin wondered if it was wise to let Brian eat so many. There had to be a limit, what with the special ingredient.

"Whatever you put in them, they're delicious. God, Justin." Brian moaned, licking at his fingers. "Take them away, or once I'm well again, I'll live in the gym to burn off all the fat. If I fit through the door, that is."

"But you need to eat," Justin insisted. "I see you like these better than the chicken soup."

"Sure, I like them, but you won't like me anymore when I look like a sumo fighter."

Justin laughed, patting Brian's flat stomach. "You lost a lot of weight. You need your strength back."

"Oh, right." Brian bit into another brownie. "Speaking of strength, Linz called earlier when you were out. She's dropping Gus over for a sleepover."

"Oh, shit." Justin had forgotten about Gus's planned visit. He stared in horror at the plate of hash brownies.

"What? Do you have plans? Don't bail on me, Sunshine. I can't keep up with him on my best days, let alone now."

"Uh, we need to hide the cookies."

"I'm sure Linz will allow him one or two."

"No. You know how she is. He's not allowed sweets," Justin insisted, feeling sweat gathering at his temple. He feared Brian's reaction at his imminent revelation of the secret ingredient. "Imagine Gus on his best day, and multiply that by ten."

If he didn't win the argument, they'd have a high kid running around. It was enough he'd drugged Brian without his consent.

"I guess you're right. Here, have one." Brian pushed a brownie to Justin's lips.

"Oh, no. I'm good." Justin turned his head away from the offered sweet.

"Come on. They're fabulous. I'll never joke about your Julia Child tendencies." Brian nudged Justin's lips with the brownie.

"Nuh-uh. They're for you."

Brian seized Justin's chin, turning him to face him. His eyes narrowed, not straying from Justin's panicked face. "When someone prepares something for their bo— friend…and they don't eat as well…"

"I didn't poison it," Justin hurried to explain.

"Of course not, Sunshine. You just doped me."

"It's no big deal. You smoke stuff all the time. It's that I read somewhere that weed helps during cancer treatment. Please, don't be mad." He bit his lip, watching his boyfriend worried.

Brian sighed heavily. "I doubt I have the capacity of being mad. I lost control of my emotions a dozen brownies ago."

There was a knock at the door, and after another sheepish look in Brian's direction, Justin rushed to answer.

Lindsay passed an already agitated Gus to Justin, called a loud hi to Brian, before turning to the stairs, saying something about an emergency at work.

Justin led Gus to the sofa where Brian was slouched low on it, grinning like a lunatic.

Maybe he had too many brownies.

"Hi, Dada." Gus crawled on his lap.

"Hey, Sonny Boy. Ready to spend some great times with your old man?"

Justin decided to save the day by grabbing Gus's backpack and looking in it for what Lindsay had packed. "Oh, look! You have _Finding Nemo_. Wanna watch?"

Gus nodded enthusiastically from his spot snuggled into his dad's chest.

With the movie in the player, Justin tried to think a way to sober Brian up, while Gus was distracted with the fish's story.

Sadly, things went downhill fast. Ten minutes into the movie, both father and son were on the carpet in front of the TV set, on their stomachs, feet in the air, having a serious conversation about talking fish. Brian kept exclaiming about the little fish feeling queer with his shorter fin.

Even Gus, at four years old, eyed his father dubiously. "It's only a movie, Dada."

"Say I'm not right, Sunshine."

Justin started, not expecting to be dragged into the conversation. He was trying to be sneaky about hiding the brownies.

Gus's eyes lightened when he saw the sweets. "Can I have one? Please?"

Brian frowned at his son, concerned about his politeness.

Justin held the tray in his hands, feeling his stomach sinking. He was going to deny a child to have something sweet. "Uh, sorry, Gussy. They're a few days old. You know how your dad is. He didn't eat them, I wasn't around much…yeah. I was on my way to throw them out." He made a bee-line to the trashcan.

"Don't you dare!" Brian shouted, already on his feet. He staggered to Justin, snatching the brownies. "The thing is, Sonny Boy, we didn't know you were coming when Justin made them. He put a special little something in them. You're too young for that. I do have some candy around. Wait." He threw Justin a nasty look, putting the tray with brownies on top of the fridge, before extracting a box of chocolate from inside it.

"When did you get that?" Justin stared at him confused.

"Ted did. Yesterday."

"You have your employees do your shopping now?"

"If you must know…" Brian opened the box, placing it in front of Gus, petting his head, before facing Justin. "It was a get well gift from my beloved employees. Aren't they fascinating little fuckers? They think they'll sweeten me up with candy, but I'm still going to fire their asses if they don't do their job right."

"They probably tried to tame the beast." Justin chuckled. He sat next to Gus. "Try not to eat all of them okay? I'm making pasta carbonara for dinner."

"Like he knows what that is." Brian threw himself next to his son. "Give your old man one." He opened his mouth, closing it around the offered candy, then returned his son's smile.

"I think you should lay down on sweets, Bri. Don't make yourself sick."

Justin's comment made tears spring in Gus's eyes, before he flew in his father's arms. "I don't want Daddy sick. You're okay, right, Daddy?"

Taken aback by the change of behavior in his son, Brian squeezed him to his chest. "I'm okay, Sonny Boy." He caught Justin's eye about Gus's head, earning a confused shrug from Justin.

Once the movie was over, Justin was almost done with dinner. He was wary of introducing Brian's weak stomach to pasta, but they had to try. The doctor had given him the clear the day before, saying he could try eating anything he wanted, as long as it was in small amounts.

High on sugar, Gus ran around. The adults didn't manage to keep him still at the table.

Justin grabbed him mid-dashing around the table and brought him on his lap. "Sit down. Here, have more food."

Dutifully, Gus opened his mouth, accepting the pasta and beef. Then he squirmed out of Justin's arms, running to the couch.

"Can you at least swallow before you run around?" Brian groaned, making to grab his son, but he was too quick for his father. "Gus, I'm serious. If you don't behave, your mom won't bring you here again."

"Oh. But I like it here." The little boy pouted, rushing to the table, and eyeing the men pleadingly.

"Sit down and eat some more, then we can play," Justin suggested, kicking one chair away from the table.

"Can I sit on your lap?" Gus begged Justin.

"Sure."

Brian watched their exchange with a smile. There had always been a deep connection between Justin and Gus, and they got along amazingly.

After about one-third of his plate, Brian pushed it away, content to simply watch his favorite people.

"Eat," Justin urged him, pushing a forkful in Gus's mouth.

"I am," Gus answered as if he was being addressed, and managed to spit food across the table. It made him laugh hysterically.

"I was talking to your dad."

"If you don't eat it all, Justin will have to spank you," Gus declared seriously.

The words sent Brian into laughter. He could envision himself across Justin's knee, and the image made him laugh harder.

"I'll take my chances." He grinned. "I'm going to…" He sat up, waiving to the bathroom. "Shower," he added when Justin's eyes clouded with worry.

Gus and Justin polished the plate in front of them, then Justin coaxed Gus into helping him clean up. He hoped the effects of chocolate would wear off soon, because he was tired, and he figured so was Brian.

They finished washing the dishes, and Justin even convinced Gus to put his pajamas on. He thought seven was not too early, not too late for the child to go to bed.

"Let's see if your mom packed you a storybook. Do you want me to read you?"

"You promised we'd play." Gus slid along the polished floorboards, squealing.

"Be careful," Justin warned, hovering on top of the steps, hoping Gus wouldn't fall on his watch.

While Gus ran to his backpack, digging through it for something, Justin became aware of the silence from the bathroom. The water wasn't running anymore.

"Wanna play?" Gus appeared at Justin's side, holding a pack of cards in his hands.

"In a minute. Go, sit on the bed and prepare for whatever game you want. I'm going to…check on your dad."

Gus nodded, jumping on the bed.

Justin opened the bathroom door with his heart beating wildly, afraid of what he'd find. He sighed in relief when he spotted Brian brushing his teeth.

"You're fine. I was so worried."

"You missed the show. Just five minutes ago."

Justin chewed on his bottom lip, slipping into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. "The pasta didn't sit well with you? Do you want soup?"

"I want you to stop worrying. Is Gus asleep?"

"Not quite yet. I hope you know how to play cards."

"Don't you? I was under the impression a good country club boy should know the secrets of playing cards," Brian teased.

"I never liked it, but I'll try for Gus."

"I'm sure he'd like to play Go Fish, not Poker or Canasta."

At Justin's frown, Brian rolled his eyes, pushing him out the bathroom. They shouldn't have worried about playing cards. Gus was fast asleep on top of the duvet, surrounded by cards.

"I hold him, you clean up?" Justin suggested.

At Brian's nod, they set to get ready for bed. Once Gus was tucked under the blankets and the cards were stacked on the bedside table, Brian and Justin slipped in bed next to the little guy.

"How do you feel?" Justin whispered, stroking a hand over the side of Brian's face.

"I'm hungry actually."

"I wonder why."

"My brownies!" He dashed to the kitchen, and returned a few moments later, grinning like a child. "Did I mention these are amazing?"

"Only a couple dozen times. Seriously, we should sleep. I have a feeling Gus wakes early."

"Let me eat, you sleep. It's not even eight. What kind of moron do you think I am?"

"It's acceptable to go to bed at eight when you're not feeling well. Get in here," Justin hissed, patting the spot between him and Gus.

"It's too early! I can't remember the last time I went to bed before midnight."

"Brian, don't be difficult. Besides, if you eat all of them, you won't have any tomorrow. And I'm not making you more."

"I can lend you some of the special ingredient," Brian joked, stuffing half a brownie in his mouth.

"I kind of borrowed from your stash to make these…there's little left."

"WHAT?" Brian choked on his bite. "What have you done?"

"Uh. I borrowed…"

"That was eighty bucks per ounce. You'll have to sell your ass for a thousand dollars to refill my weed stash."

"You're joking, right?"

"No wonder, it got to me so fast. Christ, Sunshine. Next time you want to do a good deed, ask before. Okay?"

"I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. You're forgiven, only because I'm too high to be mad, and these are fucking awesome."

"Can you two be quiet? I'm trying to sleep," Gus mumbled into the pillow.

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**So if you want more about this time with Justin taking care of Brian, hit me with ideas. :)  
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